Causes of IVF failure

Why does IVF Fail for some People?

IVF is one of the effective treatments for infertility and is performed in many reliable and well-equipped medical centers around the world and Iran. As you know in IVF or in vitro fertilization, oocytes and sperm are combined in vitro, and when the egg is fertilized, the primary cell begins to divide and form the embryo. The embryo is transferred to the mother’s uterus to undergo subsequent developmental stages to survive by implantation into the uterine lining. unfortunately, IVF failure may happen for some people.

Although the success rate of IVF is high compared to the other infertility treatments. But unfortunately, it doesn’t always succeed. IVF failure can be for a variety of reasons, which in many of them, you have no control over. It is normal to be upset after a failure, but you should not blame yourself or your spouse. Knowing the causes of IVF failure can help you avoid failure factors as much as possible and have a strong incentive to do IVF again. In this article, we have tried to identify the main causes of IVF failure.

At what stage the IVF process may fail?

Pregnancy is possible when all stages of IVF treatment are successfully completed. Therefore, any of the following can make IVF treatment fail:

At the stage of ovulation stimulation, the ovaries do not respond well to fertility drugs and do not get enough eggs.

During the egg retrieval stage, the eggs are of poor quality and unable to fertilize. Therefore, no embryos can be transferred to the uterus. (Learn more about ways to improve your egg quality: How To Improve Egg Quality For IVF)
If the embryo is not transferred to the uterus by a specialist physician with appropriate equipment.
During embryonic development, the embryo is unable to implant for a variety of reasons, including fetal genetic problems or uterine disorders.

Factors Influencing IVF Failure

Poor ovarian function

Sometimes in the early stages of treatment, the ovaries do not respond well to fertility drugs. So, there are no insufficient oocytes to continue the treatment process. Especially if the woman is over 37, the ovaries may not be able to produce enough eggs to produce several embryos. In this case, there is a possibility of IVF failure. Learn more about the causes of infertility in women: Female causes of infertility

Female age and oocyte age

The quality of the egg is crucial to having a healthy fetus.

At an older age, the quality and number of oocytes are most affected and the risks of IVF failure are increased. Therefore, the woman’s age is crucial to the success of IVF. For women younger than 35 years, the implantation rate is about 45 percent, while women aged 40 to 42 years who use their own eggs for IVF treatment have only a 15 percent chance of success. However, if women over the age of 35 use the eggs of young donors, the chances of success are almost similar to those of young women. Thus, it can be said that the egg age is more important in IVF success than the mother’s age. learn more about the ways to boost your chances of IVF success: How To Increase Your Chances Of IVF Success

Failure of implantation

For IVF success, the formed embryos must be able to attach to the inner wall of the uterus after being transferred to the uterus to allow for growth. Therefore, any factor that disrupts the implantation of the fetus, fails the IVF. Failure of the embryo implantation may be due to fetal problems or uterine disorders, but in each case, it is not possible to determine which one has caused the implantation failure. Infertility specialists believe that more than 90% of implantation failures are due to fetal growth retardation and embryonic problems.

Embryonic genetic or chromosomal problems:

The poor quality of the fetus and chromosomal abnormalities are the most important factors affecting IVF failure. Chromosomal abnormalities can be observed in both normal and laboratory embryos, which can lead to abortion or failure of uterine implantation.

Genetic and chromosomal problems can weaken the fetus. A weakened fetus does not have enough cells to grow, and so it makes implantation difficult.

Studies show that after the age of 35 years in women increases the egg chromosomal abnormality. But the rate of these types of abnormalities in men’s sperm is lower than in eggs. One of the best ways to increase the probability of IVF success is to perform a PGD test that examines the fetus genetically. The test will help a specialist doctor choose the right embryo for transplantation and implantation. Learn more about infertility tests for women: infertility blood tests for females

Uterine Disorders:

One common cause of IVF failure is the inadequate uterine lining. Polyps, cysts, poor blood flow, and thin uterine lining are some of the causes that can cause IVF failure. If the embryo is transferred to the uterus by specialists and using the appropriate equipment, there is still the possibility of IVF failure. Because uterine disorders such as thinning of the lining of the uterus, adhesions of the uterus, and the mother’s immune system can cause implantation failure. Therefore, to improve the chances of IVF success, measures must be taken to treat them.

Lifestyle:

Smoking, binge drinking, stress, overweight, and low weight increase the likelihood of IVF failure. IVF in smokers is more likely to fail than normal, so smokers will have to try twice as often as normal to treat infertility. Learn more about Proper foods to eat before IVF operation: The best foods to eat to increase IVF success

Research shows that lifestyle modifications and avoidance of drugs and stress significantly increase the chance of pregnancy. Therefore, Specialists recommend that you stop smoking at least three months before the IVF treatment, and if you are overweight or underweight, balance your weight.

Learn more about smoking effects on couple’s fertility: Effect of smoking on fertility

Embryo transfer

Embryo transfer to the mother’s uterus is a very precise and complicated task. In some cases, the technical problems in embryo transfer have been the cause of IVF failure. Therefore, the expertise of the physician and the choice of the appropriate treatment center play an important role in the success of IVF. Learn more about the cares after Embryo Transfer: what to do after the embryo transfer

Finally, remember that you should not lose your positive spirit just because of a small failure in the process of infertility treatment. know more about the best fertility clinics in Iran: Best Iranian fertility centers

Losing morale and despair means you’re ready to fail again in the next IVF cycle!

As long as life is there, one should not lose hope and clarity. Don’t give up; pregnancy after failure in one or more IVF cycles is still possible.

If IVF fails, at what time interval can it be repeated a second time?

A fresh IVF cycle should not be done two months in a row without a menstrual cycle in between them. If the first try for IVF fails, the couple can repeat the IVF after 2 or 3 menstrual cycles. The reason for this delay is to give the female time to return to her normal menstrual cycle.

If you need the advice to try again, you can contact us.